Talk on drought Nov. 8

Despite the rainfall delivered by Hurricane Sandy, Massachusetts has been classified as “abnormally dry” as of early August 2012, with much of the state in moderate drought. The state’s trees and forests, which reduce carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere, face a long-term threat.

White Oak Land Conservation Society has invited UMass/Amherst professor Rick A. Harper to speak to its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at Holden Town Hall on “Drought Stress and What it Means for Your Trees.”

Harper will describe some of the remedies which homeowners can use to help trees when rainfall is inadequate. Remedies include a 2”-3” mulch around the base of trees and use of gator bags which release water gradually around the trunk of the tree. Harper is an assistant professor of urban and community forestry at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The meeting, like all White Oak programs since 1978, is open to the public and free of charge. A short business meeting will precede Harper’s talk; refreshments will follow. White Oak is a land trust chartered in 1978 to protect open space in Holden and the surrounding area, and to educate the public about nature. For more information, visit whiteoaktrust.org.